FEIGENBAUM: Budget looms as Indiana Legislature swings into second half
We’ve reached the halfway point of the 2015 legislative session, and you can now jettison a few preconceived notions.
Statehouse Dispatch
Articles
FEIGENBAUM: ‘Killer amendments’ waylay expected policy changes
Veteran legislative observers had felt the timing was right this year for two policy changes long overdue.
FEIGENBAUM: Education debate gathers energy, sharp edges at Indiana Statehouse
As the session began, we warned you to pay close attention to education issues, because they would drive the political and fiscal discussion.
FEIGENBAUM: Lawmakers belatedly turn attention to gambling
After an interim study committee—stacked with lawmakers favorable to gambling interests—recommended a series of items to help Indiana’s casinos and racinos compete with expanded gambling options in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio, it took until Feb. 12 for the principal bill to be heard in a House committee.
FEIGENBAUM: Crush of big issues await General Assembly
Republican supermajorities in 2013 and 2014 left a lot of unfinished business on the table, and that—as well as changes in technology and public expectations—portends an extremely active 2015 General Assembly session.
FEIGENBAUM: Big agenda awaits 2015 General Assembly
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. The fact that snow stopped falling, temperatures started climbing, and tulips tentatively inched up from the frozen Hoosier tundra just as lawmakers left town actually has no direct connection to the end of the 2014 legislative session.
FEIGENBAUM: Budget concerns push big ideas into next year
Amazing how deadlines—particularly pushing them forward—can ensure compromise in the General Assembly’s conference committee process.
FEIGENBAUM: Region has much at stake as session closes
Local governments have loudly fretted about the potential loss of tax dollars from a reduction or elimination of the business personal property tax, and raised concerns about forcing intrastate competitions for business relocations.
FEIGENBAUM: Big week ahead for unfinished Pence agenda
March 3 and 4, respectively, mark the final days for third reading of Senate bills in the House, and third reading of House bills in the Senate. Those deadlines are a significant milestone, because we’re now finished with hearings by standing committees.
FEIGENBAUM: Lawmakers press ahead on education issues
The business community has turned a keen collective eye to a passel of bills that seek to improve education, including measures that would authorize Indianapolis Public Schools to enter into an agreement with a school-management team to establish innovative network schools, allow charter school support to be distributed at the organizer level; and create a career and technical education diploma.
Much of ambitious legislative agenda remains alive
Despite concerns that debating a constitutional amendment defining marriage would rip our state apart, that didn’t happen and the General Assembly has proven quite productive—as well as judicious in deciding what issues not to become entangled in during the “short” session.
Lawmakers begin to shift focus beyond HJR 3
Following the initial rounds of jockeying surrounding HJR 3, the definition of marriage constitutional amendment, lawmakers can redirect their attention to other matters of substance for a few weeks. This week marks the initial third reading deadline, the final stage for passage of legislation in its chamber of origin, and many important pieces of legislation […]
Bosma’s collaborative style put to huge test
The House speaker has done his utmost to downplay the importance of the proposed same-sex marriage amendment within the context of the Republican agenda this year.
Governor’s State of the State address avoids the nitty-gritty
Pence emphasized job creation, early childhood education, and quality of life, and used his speech to fit his proposals into those silos.
FEIGENBAUM: Pence’s ‘road map’ puts Legislature in driver’s seat
Each Hoosier governor brings his own style to his legislative agenda and relationship with the Indiana General Assembly.
FEIGENBAUM: Plenty of issues for Republicans to parse
Marriage, education and child care are just some of the hot potatoes likely to receive debate.
FEIGENBAUM: Statehouse looks to Pence and his mighty pen
Indianapolis government bill among those the governor must decide to accept or reject.
FEIGENBAUM: Legislative deadline spawns flurry of activity
In one 48-hour stretch early in the first week of April, lawmakers provided a truer lay of the session land than in all the days leading up to it.
FEIGENBAUM: All eyes looking to crucial mid-April revenue forecast
We’re just a few short weeks from the mid-April revenue forecast, the critical non-political, non-policy factor that will shape the fiscal 2014-2015 budget—and a handful of other big-buck key bills.
FEIGENBAUM: Geography, more than attitude, may shape fiscal debate
We learned just over a year ago that the veteran House fiscal leadership would be a vestige of the past when the 2013 session began.